Pressing implement



April 17, 1928.

L. HOFFMAN PRESSING IMPLEMENT Filed Nov. 13. 1920 4 sneet-sheet 1 o d 8 5 1 4 w, m

` ll-r11.

April 17, 1928.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 L. HOFFMAN PRESSING IMPLEMENT Filed Nov.1s, '1920 April 17, 1928.

L. HOFFMAN rnnssme IMPLEMENT Filed Nov. 1s, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 17, 192s. 1,666,599

L. HOFFMAN PREssiNG IMPLEMENT Filed NOV. l5.. 1920 4 ShetS-Sheet- 4 Patented' Apr. 17, 1928.

i My invention* rela .OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA BESSING IRON COMPANY,

Louis Harriman,

STEAM P and appliances for ing or blocking fa A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PBESBING IHPLEIENT.

Application filed November 13, 1920. Serial lo. 423,868.

Illes:

articles by treatment of this sort;

tion being nection either with 4shaping impl the garment i is moved back and j improved means w steam supplied, to be sup ei'ated in the same, may

. lably, through a a sadiron or tailors goose, with the support or used herein in its broad signiication) upon which the garment is supported during the pressing operation'. the invention are:

, To provide a pressing i IHOP@ BSPB ement operated forth across the garment, for example; or (this term being constituting a pressing,

on; or with buck The

primary the types mentioned which may,

slight changes and adjustments,

y steam a one supp implement from an outside source;

plied and 'by ement carrie either (1) steam so su a heating e itself, for exam le,

heater, or (3) ment carried tion With steam w body of the implement from an outside source. establishments favor o types mentioned, or

omy bot forations in the against the garmen ten the same during the invention having a sp hereinafter appear, pressing implement tening type.

case of implements in manufa Y these implements is e suitable p a gas burner forth.

face of t, or other wor tes to apparatus, devices ressing, steaming, shaprarments or other in tailoring shops for The novel ressing and shaping evices, arrangements the present le'of utilization in consteaming or which is moved against mplement of any ot lied to the heat derive d by the implement y Lmeans of a heating eleby the implement in conjunchich is generated in the from' water supplie Di'erent tailoring` another of find it desirable to use one type on one class of garments and another ty e on another class, so that an econcture and in the use of ifected by the provision of an implement which may be used interabove set a the implement with hereby a portion of the erheated in or genbe ejected, controlerforaton or per-y the implement k, to moisthe pressing operation; p

ecal utility, as Will in connection with of this so-called mois- To so construct the implement that in the of type (1)-as specific above-steam is used most eiliciently, and in case of implements of types (2) and (3) an economy is effected in fuel or current consumed by the heating element carried by the implement. l

To dispose the moisture duct in the body of the implement so that the steam introduced tliereiiito, or superheatcd or generated therein, will be distributed to the best adyantage and so that when a part of the steam is diverted and ejected against the garment 1t will reach the work in a highly heated and di' condition.

o automatically regulate the circulation of moisture through the implement, in cases of types (2) and (3) so as to eliminate the danger of overheating either the implement or the s team ejected against the work (when the moistening feature is utilized) to the damage thereof. To provide a practical self heated pressing implement of the moistening type in which themoisture is supplied vto the implement-in the form of water and generated and ejected against the work as steam. Numerous attempts have been made heretofore to provide a pressing implement of the moistening type, for example, a tailors goose-of this type, which can be supplied with water, instead of steam; but so far as I am aware, these attempts have not Y d ful due to the ditliculty of obtaining from the heating elements with which the irons have been provided a suiicient quantity of dry, high-temperature .steam for a suiciently long eriodat a time to make these watersupplied irons adaptable for all sorts ol: pressing operations.

To provide a vpressing implement of the self heated moistening type, especially a tailors goose of this type,.which will be much lighter than the ordinary cast iron tailors goose and yet equally effective as a pressing implement. This I accomplish by employing aluminum instead of cast iron for the body 'of the implement, this substitution being possible, without loss of pressing etliciency, because of the increased eaacity of the device so constituted for generating water into steam, superheating the steam and preventing condensation due to the greater thermal conductivity of the aluminum.

Other objects are attained by the use of d this metal instead of cast iron, namely, the

the invenone which objects of with very be heated from or electric the new and been Wholly successsume lthat 'the moisture e eqiualization of heat throughout the implement and consequent diminution of the d anger of scorching the goods by overheating the iron at one place, and the elimination of the possibility of staining the work with rust.

The invention consists in tlie/ new and improved arrangements, constructions and devices to be hereinafter describe and claimed for carrying out the above stated objects and such other incidental objects as will be referred to in the following description of the preferred embodiments of' the invention shown in the drawings. Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts in section, of a tailors goose constructed in accord-ance with my invention, the implement being shown as provided with a heating element and equipped so that the moisture ejected against the goods may be supplied to the implement either as water or steam.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the implement shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on a somewhat larger scale than the preceding figures, illustrating the construction of the relief valve for limiting the pressure accumulation in the generating or superheating duct.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan on line 6 6 of Fig. 3, the scale being larger.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the same implement with certain parts removed and its fluid connections reversed, adapting it to be heated by steam alone.

F ig. 8 is a side-elevation of a buck proports 27 secured by bolts 28 to the body of the\ implement, and 29 is a socket piece (forming no part of my present invention) by means of which the implement ma be supported on a pressing machine.- It wi l be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of the implement in connection with a pressing machine. Many of these implements are used b hand as tlie'ordinary tailors goose is use The body of the implement is formed with a longitudinally extending chamber 30 adapted to receive a heatino' element. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have indicate at 31 van elect-ric heating element which will preferably make a snug fit .in chamber 30. 32 is a pipe coil imbedded in the body of the implement so as to surround chamber 30. composed of copper or other metal having a high coeflicient of thermal conductivity; The pressing face 33 of the iron is formed with a plura ity of fine perforations 34 which register with perforations 35 through the bottom of a hollow member 36 constituting a distributing duct and extending from end to end of the iron between the coil 32 and the pressing face 33. 37 is a tubular member within coil 32, this member constituting the chamber 30 above referred to. One end 38 of coil 32 is fitted into a perforation 39 in a block 40 imbedded in the body of the iron. Continuous with the other end of the coil is a pipe 41 which runs lengthwise of the coil, is bent upwardly, as shown at 42, and set into a perforated block 43. The block 40 is formed with a second perforation 44 and a pipe 45, set into the. block at this perforation, leads to the hollow steam distributing duct 36. In manufacturing the device a piece of copper pipe4 is wound around the tubular member 37, the member 36 is solvided with steam heating arrangements in\dered to the-coil so formed, blocks 40, 43 are put in place and the aluminum is cast around i accordance with Fig. 9 is an inver 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on line 10-10 of Fig. 9, and Y Fig. 11 is a view, in elevation, with parts in section, illustrating the application of the principles of my invention to a garmentl pressing machine having la hinged head which is brought down upon the work by a swinging movement.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the severalligures of the drawings.

I shall first describe the tailors goose shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive'and shall asejected against the work is supplied to the implement either in the form of` water or steam.

The implement consists of the followinnr parts: 25 is a body composed preferably of aluminum (whichlmay bel alloyed with copper or other metal to give it closer texture if desired). 26 is a handle carried by sup my invention.

ed sectional plan on line these parts to form the body of the implement, and perforations 34, 35 are drilled. The implement is completed by adding the vvalve devices which will now be described.

Block 43 is provided extending nipple 46 to which is screwed a valve casing 47 of any suitable type. The end of the nipple 46 forms a seat for a feed regulating valve 48, the stem 49 of which is threaded through the valve casing '47. The stem is provided with a hand wheel 50 for adjustment of the valve 48. In the side of valve casing 47 isa nipple 51 for a flexible hose 52 adapted to be connected with a source of waterV or steam supply (not shown). The valve 48 is normally open to a greater or less extent. Its adjustment regulates the inflow of water orsteam tothe `coil 32. This valve has been shown in a conventional way. Any other suitable pipe valve might be employed in this connection.

At the other side of the iron is arranged a with an upwardly The pipe coil is preferably which and the top of member,62 is intersired, replace the valveV easing fitting of a bushing rv53 having ducts 54, 55 which re ister iiets 39, 44, respectively; of the lock 40, the fitting 53 being secured to the body of the iron by screws 56. Within the tting'is a chamber 57 to which duct 54 extends and which is connected to vduct 55 by` means `of a horizontal passageway 58, the latter extending through a plug 59 formed to provide va scat for a valve 60. Fixed to the top of the fitting 53 is a two-part valve casing 61, 62, the interior of wiich communicates with chamber 57. Inrthis valve casing is a yball valve 63 adapted to bear' against a seat 64 vprovided by casing member 61. The ball is held to its seat by a'stem 65 formed with guiding ribs 66 between with d posed a. coiled 'spring 67 .i The upper member 62 of the valve casing basa threaded engagement with the lower casing 61 so that 'the spring pressure on the ball valve 63 may be varied. 68 are outlet ports in the upper end of the casingfmember 62.5 The relief valve device just described operates to limit the possible pressure in the coil 32, valve 63 unseat-ing when the pressure vin the coil ex'- ceeds that exerted by spring 67. Y

Valve .60, which controls the iow of steam from the coil 32 to face of the implement, is formed with a stem 69 threaded into the interior threading 70 set into'the side of fitting 53. The stem is prolonged beyond the bushing, in its cap piece 71, this outer portion 72 ofthe stem\ being supported by a lug 73 formed on the forward handle support 27. 74 is a -lever fixed to the end of the valve stem extension 72 and provided with a thumb piece 75 lying close to handle 26. The valve 60 may be opened and closed by movement 'of the thumb piece 75.

In order to utilize the tailors goose just described vas an all steam iron, that is, asv an implement' heated by steam alone, it is only necessary7 to remove the relief valve by unscrevving t e casingseetion 61 from the tting 53, and replace it with a nipple 76 (Fig. 7) for the steam supply connection 52, and to attach a steam discharge hose 77 to the nipple51 oi valve casing 47 (Fig. 3) or to a nipple 78 (Fig. 7) which may, if de- 47. These changes involve, it will be seen, a reversal of the flow through the coil 32.

Rsum of operatom' 60 is also closed. The water in the coil will ing face so that the .of hot, dry

application of moisture to the work beingtheperforated pressing ordinarily intermittent and tlie amounts mented It has pressed.

be generated into steam andapressure de-V veloped whic checks inow of more water.v `The generation of steam from the water will be very rapid coil and its small diameter, and its position surrounding the heating element. In uslng the implement the operator' moves the thumb piece 5 to open valve accumulated pressureyand correspondingly high temperature passes from the discharge end of coil 32 through ducts 54, 58, 55 and 45 to the distributing member 36 and thence through perfoations The steam issuing from the perforations in the pressing face at a high temperature and pressure readily penetrates the work and is quickly evaporated by the heat of the pressremoval of wrinkles or shaping @i the garment is eected with'great rapidity and ease. through the pressing face reduces the pressure in the coil and allows additional water to enter the coil. This water is heated in the inlet end of steam further on. The fact that the relief is normally closed insures a constant supply steam for use as required, the

needed varying with the particular sort `d garment operated on. One of the lobjections The outflow of steam the coil and generated intol because of the length of the I 60. Steam at/the' 35, 34 to the work. A

to the use of self-heated sad irons of th'e Y moistening type is that the careless workman may damage the garments either through overheating the iron, :that is, its pressing face, or superheating the steam used for moistening purposes to too great an extent, -by allowing too great a steamvpressure to accumulate in the generating or superheating duet. Such riseoi` pressure, if excessive, will overheat the' iron so as to scorch the garment, besides raising the temperature of the moistening fluid to such a point as to make its ejection against the work injurious. The steam in passing through the minute perforations in the pressing face is wire drawn and vits temperature thereby augsometimes happened that the temperature of the steam was so high as to burn pin holes in the. garment being These overheating dangers are employment of the 'relief eliminated by. the' valve which forms an important feature of my invention. The valve may be set to operate at `any pressure desired and when this pressure is reached steam will pass out of the coil and the resultant diminution of pres? surewill admit water to the coil which` of d course, cools down the body of steam therein and hasn cooling effect upon tbe iron itself. In this connection the arrangement of the coil around the heating element is important 4because the coil acts not only as a steam generator but as an insulator separating the body of the iron, to a certain extent, from A. the heat delivered from the heating'element. Once valve 48 has been setfto'a proper position, dependent upon the pressure 1n the water main and the heatin capacity of the heating element, the relie automatically 'to prevent any possible overheating of the iron, or overheating of th moisture fluid and this g regardless of whether the intervals between applications of the moisture fluid be long onshort.

Another im ortant feature of myinvention is the ma ring o f the body of the implement of aluminum. It has generally been supposed that a flat iro should be heavy in 4order that it should'. press with suflicient force against the goods to drive the moisture into the work and subsequently leffect -its evaporation.V This is probably true of the ordinary intermittently heated flat iron of Jhe nonmoistening type because in using this sort of an iron even with a wet cloth or after sprinkling or sponging the work there is almost always an excess ,of moisture and this moisture is cold. The function of the-ironl is to evaporate-the water and compel it ,to enter the goods and the closer the iron is pressed against the goods the better this function and the evaporation of the water are accomplished. When flat irons were constructed so as toi be self heating and so as to ejlct moisture against the goods itrwas not Jealized that it' the moisture could be ejected against the goods at a high pressure and in a dry state the close contact required with thel old type of iron was not essential. It was not realized, moreover, that if implements of this type were made as other flatirons, of cast iron,I the low thermal 'conductivity of the cast iron wouldmake it diiiicult Lto generate into steam a stream of water continuously flowing through the fluid ducts of the implement. At iirst the steam but as thesur faces of the ducts become cooled the generwater .will flash into ating `power, of the ,iron isr diminished'with consequent lowering of the temperature and pressure ofthel ejected moisture. By using a metal having a much higher coeiiicient of thermal conductivity than cast iron vit is ossible to continuously convert the water into steam at high pressures and temperatures and to prevent any appreciable diminution ot temperature and tendency to condense as the steam moves away from the heatA source toward and through the pressing face, 4which latter, of course, is constantly cooled by Contact with the moist garment. making the body of the implement largely of aluminum, which besides having a high celight in comparison with-cast iron, 'the 1aboriousness of manipulation of the imple- 4ment is very much diminished and this advantage is obtained without any loss of elhciency. Because of the capacity of the devalve will act eiiicient of thermal conductivity is also very tivity. '1 iecopper coil is imbedded in the aluminum body so that the rapid conduction of heat thrdughout the implement, which, is an important.consideration, is insured.

The Juseof these metals has another advantage over cast ,iron in that the danger of soiling the garment with rust stains is obviated.

Second-Assuming that the implement is provided vwith a heating element and is sup? piled with steam instead of water, the o er1 ation will be substantially as descrl ed above.. The steam will `beksuperheated in coil 32, the maximum pressure of which is determined by the adjustment of the relief valve. The steam, being introduced necessarily at a lower pressure than this maximum, will( act to a certain extent to cool the iron. One advantage fof this method of operation is that the initial heat ofthe 'steam makes it possible to use a' heating element oli smaller capacity.

TLz'rd.-If the implement is to be heated b steam alone the reliet` valve 61, 62 (Fig. 3g, is replaced by a nipple 76 (Fig. 7) and the steam inlet pipe 52 instead of beingattached to nipple 51 is attached to ni ple 76 so that the iiow of steam through tlhe coil 32 is reversed. In order to carry off the steam from tha iron a steam hose 77 may be attached to the nipple 51 (Fig. 3) or the. valve casing 17 may be removed and the discharge hose attached to va nipple 78 (Fig. 7 which replaces t-he valve casing 47.` With the iron lused in this manner it will be obser-ved that the steam diverted to the pressing face is not taken from coil 32 but is live steam taken from the supply pipe, or more accurately, from the fitting 53-now the inlet litting-a portion of the steam supplied to the iron being thus diverted to the pressing face while the remainder is circulated through the coil 32 which, in this case, :func tions purely as a' heating element. By this arrangementthe steam( ejected against the work is dry and at a relativelyl high tem. perature. Condensation of the steam in passing from the inlet to the `pressing face is mimmized by making the body of the implement of aluminum and duct 45 and dis-l 2 tributing duct 36 of copper. This is an important feature inr an all steam iron since l the effectiveness of the device as a pressing water or steam,

implement depends upon the velocity an temperature of the steam jets and ractical considerations place a liniityupo'n t epressure of the steam suppliedA to the device. In

other words, the body ot' the implement p y must be kept heated by steam at not excessive pressure sutliciently to prevent any appreeiable condensation of thatl portion of the steam diverted and ejected against the Work. Y

In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 I have shownv a buck which is Jfurnished with steam heating devices in accordance with this invention. 'lhis embodiment of the invention does not contemplate the ejection of moisture against the work although the nioistening of ythe goods or garment by steam taken i'rom the buck might be accomplished, if desired, by modifications which will be quite apparent from the description of the pressing implements shown in the first seven figures of the drawings.

Referring now to designates the body of t e foi-med as to provide an extended upper pressing surface 80. The buck may be made of aluminum or other metal. It is formed with a longitudinally extending recess 81 for a gas urner or other heating element.. In Fig. 8 I have indicated the use of an electric heating element, the end o which is shown at 82. Cast into the body of the buck is a pipe coil 83, preferably o copper, which surrounds the recess 81. 84 designates the casing for a valve 85 which controls the introduction of heating medium,

to coil 83, 86 being a ipe 84 with the remote en of coil 83, and 87 a pipe for supplyin lui to the casing. Outow from the coi 83 is automatically controlled by a valve device 88 corresponding in all respects to the valve device shown in detail in Fi 4. his valve and the inflow valve are pre erably arrange under an extension portion 89 of the buck.

The operation, so far as the heating of the buck is concerned, is the same as that ot' the said iron previously described. If water is used it ows through pipe 86 and is generated into steam in the coil 83, inflow being determined by 85 and by steam pressure developed in the coil. When this pressure reaches the point at which relietvalve 88 is set to operate, valve 88 opens to relieve the pressure an admit additional water.

In Fig. 11 I have illustrated, in a somewhat diagrammatic manner, the application of the principles of my invention to the construction o a pressing head in a machine, otherwise of familiar construction, in which the pressing, sha-ping or smoothing of the 8, 9 and 10, 79 buck which is so garment is accomplished by pressin it between a stationary buck.` and hinge head.

d the the adjustment of valve In this figure, 89 stationary buck and designates the lower or 90 the pressing hea although any suitable means mig the head against the buck.

lo ed for moving 'lhe head consists of preferably ht be eina metal casting formedl with a recess 93 for a heating element 94 95 is a coil cast d recess 93, and 96 is the body of the head. 97 are perforations through the pressing face e]ection of steam from the 96. 'lhe pressing face may be desired, with a fabric covering this feature is not Water or steam of headv for distributing duct covered, i 98 although regarded as essential.

enters the coil 95 through a ipe 99 preferably concentric with the axis o hinges 91, a bran ling valve 101 and body turn 103 of coil 95.

into steam, or it' tl superlieated in coil 95,

ch pipe 100, a controla pipe 102 cast into the of the head and leading to the remote The water is generat ie steam is used it is the pressure in which is regulated by relief valve 104 corresponding to the relief valves previously described.

Duct 105 leads from co' ber 106 with which municates. 107 is a finger piece 110. I

95 to a valve chamthe relief valve comduct leading from the f valve chamber 106 to the distributing pipe This duct is controlled by a valve 108, f the spindle 109 of which is operated by a have not shown any special `means for heating the lower pressing member or buck, the heating arrangements and, if desire arrangements shown to lbe supplie with of the heating elements 82, 94, or alents, in the same vmanner as d, also the -moistening in connection with the dl pressing 'head may be employed for heating the buck and supplying moisture to the garment through the buck.

It will e understood that the heating ar- Figs. 8, 9 and 10 and and steaming arran ements i 11, may be adapte so as steam without the use their equivhas been scribed in connection with' the sad iron shown in I claim:

the first seven iigures.

1. A. pressing implement comprising a metal body formed ed to receive a d coil surrounding said ing a iiuid circulati 2. A metal body heating element, and a pressing imp formedwith a chamber adaptwith a chamber adaptpipe chamber and constitutno conduit.

ement comprising a ed to receive a heating element, and a pipe coil imbedded in said metal body and surrounding said chamber to provide a iiuid circulating conduit. 0

3. A pressing implement comprising a'V metal body, a pipe coll imbedde therein,

dev iis' terminal ttins for-said coil on4 the outside of the bo y, the pressm implement being perforated or ejection of steam, means providing a duct from'one of said fittings to the perforated face vozt parallelwith the pressing face of the im-l plement and a hollow distributing member communicating with said coil and imbedded in the body between the coil and the pressing face, ber being formed with communicating per-- forations for ejection oit moisture against the work.

i5. A pressing implement comprising a metal bod a pipe coil imbedded therein parallel wlth-the pressin face of the implement and a hollow istributing member communicatin with said coil and imbedded in the bo y between theA coil and the pressin face, .said pressing face and hollow mem er being formed with communicating perforations for ejection of moisture against the work, said body being formed with a 30 adapted to receive a heating element.

face 'of said'l said pressing face and hollow mem' recessl lying within said coil and 6. A pressing element comprising a metal body, a tubular member providing a charnber for a heating element, and a pipe coil surrounding said tubular member, both imbedded in said body.

pressing implement .comprising a body having a pressing face perforated for against the work, a coil 1n said body adapted for circulation oft-Huid. means providing a ductejection of moisture 8. In a pressing implement, the combination of a body formed with a vperforated presslng face and with acontinuous steam circulating conduit, inlet and outlet ittings at theends of said conduit, the outlet fitting providing a discharge orifice for the circu lating medium inthe conduit-independent of the perforations of the pressing face, andI means constituting a duct leading '.Eromone' s for divergence of steam to.

of said ittin the perforate pressing face.

Louis HOFFMAN. 

